Ideas for an egg drop experiment

Written by carrie perles

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The goal of the experiment is to find a way to drop this egg without it breaking. (Ablestock.com/AbleStock.com/Getty Images)

The egg drop experiment is commonly used in physics classes to teach about free fall. It requires students to figure out a way to drop an egg in a container without the egg breaking. Students design containers to go around their egg.

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Cushioning the Egg

This is usually the part of the experiment that makes each contender unique. Think about the types of things that might cushion an egg to keep it from breaking on impact. Possible materials include cotton balls, rolled-up socks, popcorn, bubble wrap, feathers, a sponge, foam, or inflated balloons. You will want to make sure a good amount of the soft material is directly in front of the egg on impact, which may mean packing the material tightly into the container or taping the egg to the opposite side of the container.

Suspending the Egg

You can also consider suspending the egg inside of the container. This would require you to use nylon stockings, rubber bands, or other materials that stretch. Secure the material to the egg, and fasten the other end of the material to the box. This will hold the egg in place and prevent it from hitting the container upon impact.

Choosing the Container

In choosing a container for this experiment, there is one main rule: the bigger, the better. If the container is large, there is less of a chance of the egg hitting the side on impact. Possible containers include a tissue box, shoebox, large foam box, or a box built of sponges. Note the last two choices, although they are harder to find or design, will help absorb some of the impact.

Building a Parachute

You can also make a parachute to slow down the falling egg. Make sure to tape a rock or other weight to the side of the container you want to hit the ground first so the container does not flip over. You can make a parachute by tying strings to the four corners of a square material and tying the other ends of the strings to the container.